Gears, such as a hypoid ring gear of the type that is used in a modern axle assembly or power take-off unit, typically have one or more portions having one set of design and performance criteria, and one or more other portions having a different set of design and performance criteria. These different sets of design and performance criteria may relate to how the gear is loaded during its operation and/or to other considerations such as the manner in which the gear is joined or coupled to an input member or an output member. It is common practice in the industry to unitarily and integrally construct a gear from a single material having properties that permit the gear to meet or exceed one set of criteria. Often times, however, the material chosen is a compromise between the several sets of criteria and consequently, the gear may end up being more costly and/or having characteristics that are not as optimal as desired.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an improved method for forming a toothed article.